Rack, particularly for holding and tying newspapers

ABSTRACT

A rectangular open-topped rack for supporting stacked flat material such as newspapers so they are accessible and can be tied into a bundle while still in the rack comprises four upright panels each consisting of a horizontal base strip and two bent wires shaped to modified inverted V upstanding from the base strip and having vertical legs at each end hinged to an adjacent panel. Each corner of the rack supports an elevated platform section which bridges and braces the wires of adjacent V&#39;&#39;s. The other legs of the V&#39;&#39;s of each panel incline downwardly toward one another and cross each other above the base strip but are spaced apart both above and below the platform level and the platform sections are also spaced apart. The base strips are also hinged together at the corners of the rack, permitting the entire structure to be folded flat when the platform sections are removed.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Maurice J. Grady 1829 Sycamore. Royal Oak, Mich. 48067 [21] Appl. No. 19.877 [22] Filed Mar. 16,1970 [45] Patented July 6, I971 [54] RACK, PARTICULARLY FOR HOLDING AND TYING NEWSPAPERS 17 Claims, 9 Drawing Figs. [52] U.S.Cl 211/50, 211/178 R, 220/6 [51] Int. Cl A471 7/00 [50] FieldofSearch 211/178, 177, 49,50; 220/6 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,006,328 10/1911 Widenhofer 211/178 1,720,449 7/1929 Seligman 21 1/50 1,987,378 1/1935 Tansley 220/6 2,521,126 9/1950 Price 211/50 2,636,432 4/1953 Sherer 211/50 X 2,850,197 9/1958 Hart 211/50 X 2,927,697 3/1960 Hoover... 211/50 3,357,344 12/1967 Pate 211/50 X Primary ExaminerNile C. Byers, .l r. AttorneyHarness, Dickey & Pierce ABSTRACT: A rectangular open-topped rack for supporting stacked flat material such as newspapers so they are accessible and can be tied into a bundle while still in the rack comprises four upright panels each consisting of a horizontal base strip and two bent wires shaped to modified inverted V upstanding from the base strip and having vertical legs at each end hinged to an adjacent panel. Each corner of the rack supports an elevated platform section which bridges and braces the wires ofadjacent V's. The other legs of the V's of each panel incline downwardly toward one another and cross each other above the base strip but are spaced apart both above and below the platform level and the platform sections are also spaced apart. The base strips are also hinged together at the corners of the rack, permitting the entire structure to be folded flat when the platform sections are removed.

PATENTEUJUL SIB?! 3591.012

SHEET 2 OF 4 PATENTED JUL 61971 3591012 SHEET 3 OF 4 RACK, PARTICULARLY FOR HOLDING AND TYING NEWSPAPERS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention has as its overall objective the provision of a convenient and attractive storage and baling rack, particularly useful for newspapers, in which papers can be stored in a manner rendering them readily available when access or reaccess thereto is desired, and in which they can easily be bound together in a bale while still in the rack and then lifted out for disposal. A further object is to provide an improved rack which is foldable in a thin package for shipping and storage. Another object is to provide such a rack which is light in weight in proportion to its strength, rigid enough to resist distortion during handling of the loaded rack and which is easily lifted and handled, even when loaded. Other objects and advantages will become apparent upon consideration of the present disclosure in its entirely.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES OF DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a newspaper rack constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view thereof on a larger scale;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are horizontal sectional plan views taken substantially as indicated by the lines and arrows lV-IV and V-V respectively of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 are sectional details taken substantially on the lines Vl-Vl, VII-VII and VIII-VIII respectively of FIG. 4 and looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 9 is an elevational view of the folded rack with platform supports removed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED FORM OF THE INVENTION The improved rack of the present invention consists of four panels comprising front and rear panels I0, which are alike, and end panels 11 which are somewhat shorter and also alike. The preferred rack illustrated is intended for newspapers, and the panels are of such lengths that when arranged vertically in a rectangular pattern they define the boundaries of an enclosure slightly larger than one-half of an ordinary newspaper page, the front and rear panels being approximately 18 inches long and the end panels approximately 14 inches long.

Each panel includes a base strip 12 which supports a pair of uprights l4 welded thereto. Each upright comprises a single length of wire bent to modified inverted V-form and having a straight vertical corner leg 17 extending upwardly from the strip. The vertical legs are at each end of the strip and the ends of the strip are wrapped around the leg and welded together at 42. At the upper end the wire which forms each upright is preferably bent in a smooth arc, as indicated at 16, to form convenient lifting areas. Each vertical leg also extends downwardly a short distance below the strap to receive a soft rubber foot 25.

All eight uprights are alike and when the parts are assembled with the panels defining a rectangle and lying in vertical planes, the vertical legs 17 of the comer pieces lie in pairs adjacent each other at the corners and are hinged together by encircling metal hinge clips 26, 27 near the top and bottom respectively, and an intermediate hinge clip 28. The looped hinge clips are formed of strips of sheet metal and hold the vertical legs 17 close together but permit them to rotate about their longitudinal axes. The clips also act as hinges for these base frame strips, and permit the panels to swing around vertical axes so that the rack can be folded to flat configuration for shipment and handling (in which condition it is shown in FIG. 9), and to be opened at will for use.

Each upright 14 has its other leg 18 extending angularly downwardly and inwardly to welded juncture with the base strip. The inclined legs 18 lie in the same plane as the base strip and corner legs 17 and act as walls to confine newspapers which are laid fiat in the rack.

At a convenient height above the base, which may be approximately one-third the height of the rack, each inclined leg is provided with a horizontal abutment 19 formed by a short stepped bend the length of which may be of the order of threefourths of an inch and below which a continuation section 20 of leg 18 extends again downwardly and angularly away from upright leg 17. The continuation portions 20 cross each other and are welded together at the crossing point, 21, their lower ends being welded to the inner face of the base strip.

At an elevation corresponding to that of the abutment step 19 each of the vertical legs 17 is provided with a double bend 29 which extends angularly back toward the inclined leg 18 and outwardly at an angle of 45 to the plane of the panel. The bends 29 of each pair of corner legs define an eye opening 30 which is slightly larger than the wire diameter. The hinging loop 28 is positioned above the double bends 29 which thus keep the loop from falling. The upper hinging loop 26 may be spotwelded to one of the wires to prevent it from falling or simply folded tight enough thereagainst to remain in place frictionally.

The spaces 24 between continuation portions 20 and above their crossing points 21 are sufficient to easily permit a cord to be passed therethrough, and continuous spacing is also provided between all parts of the inclined legs 18 in the area thereabove, including substantial spaces 23 in the areas between the stepped abutment sections 19.

When the rack is in the opened condition for use the stepped abutment portions 19 of each pair of adjacent hinged comer uprights coact with the eye opening 30 formed by the bends 29 in their hinged comer legs to support a platform member generally designated 33. Each platform member consists of a wire crossbar 34 adapted to extend diagonally and horizontally across the space between the abutment portions 19 of the hingedly paired corner uprights and carrying at each end a bendable metal clip 35 adapted to be wrapped around the stepped abutment area as shown in FIG. 6. The crossbar 34 is rigidly attached by welding to a looped-wire platform section or arm 36 which is also formed of a single piece of wire, lying in the same plane as the crossbar and extending generally perpendicularly thereto so as to substantially bisect the angle between the panels. The corner end of platform sec tion 36 projects in the form of an upwardly bent hook 37 at right angles to the plane of the platform member and is adapted to project through the eye opening 30 and upwardly behind hinge clip 28. The hooked part 37 thus coacts with the clips 35 to support the platform as well as to provide diagonal bracing in a horizontal plane. The four platform members are installed by first hooking the projection 37 into the eye opening 30 and then swinging the platform horizontally until the clip portions, which are initially straight, overlie the step portions 19, whereafter the clip portions are folded around and under the step portions as shown in FIG. 6. The eye opening 33 is large enough to permit the platform member to swing horizontally in the described manner. The arm sections 36 of the four platforms project toward each other beyond the crossbars when installed, but a substantial spacing is left therebetween as shown at 38 and 39 in FIG. 4.

Welded to the inner surface of each of the base strips 11 is a relatively heavy reinforcing wire rod or bar 40 having upturned end portions 41 spotwelded to the inner surface of the strip by the same welds 42 which also serve to secure together the folded over end portions of the strip. A central area 43 of the reinforcing rod 40 is also welded to the inner surface of the strip. The strips, although formed of relatively light gauge metal, provide stiffness in a vertical plane, while the bar 40 resists twisting and bending of the strips and panels.

When it is desired to tie together newspapers or other flat objects which have been stored or placed in the rack, a tying cord may easily be passed through the openings 24 between the lower parts 20 of the inclined legs 18, from front to back and from end to end, then upwardly and around the bundle through the spacings 23, and tied on top of the bundle, whereafter the bundle can be lifted from the rack, the tied cord then passing through the spaces 38, 39. i

For shipment and/or storage the panels may be folded together and arranged flat with the platforms.

This detailed description of preferred form of the invention, and the accompanying drawings, have been furnished in compliance with the statutory requirement to set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out the invention. The prior portions consisting of the Abstract of the Disclosure" and the Background of the Invention are furnished without prejudice in an effort to comply with administrative requirements of the Patent Office.

What l claim is:

l. A rack for rectangular flat stacked sheet material comprising four flat panels each having top, bottom and side edge portions including parallel opposite side edges, each of said side edges being hinged to an adjacent side edge of one other panel whereby the panels may be swung around the hinged edges from a position flat together to one wherein they enclose a quadrangular area, four platform members each adapted to extend diagonally between and rigidly attachable to two adjacent panels at a common horizontal plane above the bottom edges of said panels and on either side of the adjacent hinged edges thereof when said adjacent panels are at right angles to each other, all of said platform members being horizontally spaced from each other when attached, each of said panels having an uninterrupted opening extending downwardly from its upper edge to a position below said plane but above the bottom edges.

2. A rack as defined in claim l wherein said openings are positioned substantially midway between the side edges.

3. A rack as defined in claim I wherein each panel includes a relatively stiff straight base frame member appurtenant to its bottom edge and a pair of coplanar laterally spaced uprights secured thereto and the spacing between which defines said opening.

4. A rack as defined in claim 3 wherein each base frame member comprises a relatively thin flat metal strip extending substantially the full width of the panel and lying in a vertical plane and a relatively heavy stiffening wire bonded thereto and extending substantially the full length thereof and having integral portions extending vertically near the ends of the strip.

5. A rack as defined in claim 3 wherein each of said uprights comprises a relatively stiff wire of generally inverted V-form having a vertical leg defining the hinged edge and a leg inclined downwardly away from the vertical leg to juncture with the base frame member.

6. A rack as defined in claim 5 wherein the two inclined legs of each panel meet and are secured together at a position below said plane and above the base frame member.

7. A rack as defined in claim 5 wherein the two inclined legs of each panel cross each other and are secured together at a position below said plane and above the base frame member.

8. A rack as defined in claim 4 wherein each of said uprights comprises a relatively stiff wire of generally inverted V-form having a vertical leg defining the hinged edge and a leg inclined downwardly away from the vertical leg to juncture with the base frame member.

9. A rack as defined in claim 5 wherein each of said legs has a supporting abutment portion for attachment of the platform member.

10. A rack as defined in claim 9 wherein each platform member has three abutment portions one cooperatively interengageable with the abutment portions of the two vertical legs defining the hinged edges ofa pair of adjacent panels and the other two of said three being interengageable with the abutment portions on the inclined legs of said pair of adjacent panels.

11. A rack as defined in claim 10 wherein each platform member includes transverse substantially coplanar wire portions one proportioned to extend diagonally between the Inclined legs and another intersecting the same and the angle between the adjacent panels.

12. A rack as defined in claim 10 wherein each platform member includes substantially coplanar wire portions carrying all of said three abutment portions and extending away from said hinged edges beyond a straight line projected diagonally between the abutment portions on the diagonal legs.

13. A rack as defined in claim 12 wherein each platform member includes end portions comprising said three abutment portions, the abutment portions on the inclined legs comprising horizontal rest portions for two of said three and the abutment portions on the vertical legs defining an eye to receive the other of said three.

14. A rack as defined in claim 12 wherein each platform member comprises crossed bonded substantially coplanar wires having end portions comprising said three abutment portions, the abutment portions on the inclined legs comprising horizontal rest portions for two of said three and the abutment portions on the vertical legs defining an eye to receive the other of said three.

15. A rack as defined in claim l3 wherein the first-mentioned two of said three comprise wrappable holding parts distortable around the inclined leg and above the abutment portion thereon and the last mentioned of said three comprises a hooked portion projectable through the eye.

16. A rack as defined in claim 5 wherein the wires forming said uprights are bent in a smooth loop at the upper ends to join said legs and provide smoothly contoured lifting areas.

17. A rack for rectangular flat stacked sheet material comprising four corner assemblies each consisting of two upright side portions hinged together at one edge, to define a hinged comer pair the hinged edges of which define the upright corners of the rack, each side portion extending away from its hinged edge toward the unhinged edge of, and in a common plane with, another side portion to cooperate with the latter in defining a side pair constituting one side of the rack, four base frame members, one rigidly uniting the two portions constituting each of said side pairs, four platform members each adapted to extend diagonally between and connect the two portions constituting each of said corner pairs at a common horizontal plane above the base frame members, the unhinged edges of the two portions constituting each side pair being spaced from each other from their upper extremities to a position below the platform members and the platform members being spaced from each other. 

1. A rack for rectangular flat stacked sheet material comprising four flat panels each having top, bottom and side edge portions including parallel opposite side edges, each of said side edges being hinged to an adjacent side edge of one other panel whereby the panels may be swung around the hinged edges from a position flat together to one wherein they enclose a quadrangular area, four platform members each adapted to extend diagonally between and rigidly attachable to two adjacent panels at a common horizontal plane above the bottom edges of said panels and on either side of the adjacent hinged edges thereof when said adjacent panels are at right angles to each other, all of said platform members being horizontally spaced from each other when attached, each of said panels having an uninterrupted opening extending downwardly from its upper edge to a position below said plane but above the bottom edges.
 2. A rack as defined in claim 1 wherein said openings are positioned substantially midway between the side edges.
 3. A rack as defined in claim 1 wherein each panel includes a relatively stiff straight base frame member appurtenant to its bottom edge and a pair of coplanar laterally spaced uprights secured thereto and the spacing between which defines said opening.
 4. A rack as defined in claim 3 wherein each base frame member comprises a relatively thin flat metal strip extending substantially the full width of the panel and lying in a vertical plane and a relatively heavy stiffening wire bonded thereto and extending substantially the full length thereof and having integral pOrtions extending vertically near the ends of the strip.
 5. A rack as defined in claim 3 wherein each of said uprights comprises a relatively stiff wire of generally inverted V-form having a vertical leg defining the hinged edge and a leg inclined downwardly away from the vertical leg to juncture with the base frame member.
 6. A rack as defined in claim 5 wherein the two inclined legs of each panel meet and are secured together at a position below said plane and above the base frame member.
 7. A rack as defined in claim 5 wherein the two inclined legs of each panel cross each other and are secured together at a position below said plane and above the base frame member.
 8. A rack as defined in claim 4 wherein each of said uprights comprises a relatively stiff wire of generally inverted V-form having a vertical leg defining the hinged edge and a leg inclined downwardly away from the vertical leg to juncture with the base frame member.
 9. A rack as defined in claim 5 wherein each of said legs has a supporting abutment portion for attachment of the platform member.
 10. A rack as defined in claim 9 wherein each platform member has three abutment portions one cooperatively interengageable with the abutment portions of the two vertical legs defining the hinged edges of a pair of adjacent panels and the other two of said three being interengageable with the abutment portions on the inclined legs of said pair of adjacent panels.
 11. A rack as defined in claim 10 wherein each platform member includes transverse substantially coplanar wire portions one proportioned to extend diagonally between the inclined legs and another intersecting the same and the angle between the adjacent panels.
 12. A rack as defined in claim 10 wherein each platform member includes substantially coplanar wire portions carrying all of said three abutment portions and extending away from said hinged edges beyond a straight line projected diagonally between the abutment portions on the diagonal legs.
 13. A rack as defined in claim 12 wherein each platform member includes end portions comprising said three abutment portions, the abutment portions on the inclined legs comprising horizontal rest portions for two of said three and the abutment portions on the vertical legs defining an eye to receive the other of said three.
 14. A rack as defined in claim 12 wherein each platform member comprises crossed bonded substantially coplanar wires having end portions comprising said three abutment portions, the abutment portions on the inclined legs comprising horizontal rest portions for two of said three and the abutment portions on the vertical legs defining an eye to receive the other of said three.
 15. A rack as defined in claim 13 wherein the first-mentioned two of said three comprise wrappable holding parts distortable around the inclined leg and above the abutment portion thereon and the last mentioned of said three comprises a hooked portion projectable through the eye.
 16. A rack as defined in claim 5 wherein the wires forming said uprights are bent in a smooth loop at the upper ends to join said legs and provide smoothly contoured lifting areas.
 17. A rack for rectangular flat stacked sheet material comprising four corner assemblies each consisting of two upright side portions hinged together at one edge, to define a hinged corner pair the hinged edges of which define the upright corners of the rack, each side portion extending away from its hinged edge toward the unhinged edge of, and in a common plane with, another side portion to cooperate with the latter in defining a side pair constituting one side of the rack, four base frame members, one rigidly uniting the two portions constituting each of said side pairs, four platform members each adapted to extend diagonally between and connect the two portions constituting each of said corner pairs at a common horizontal plane above the base frame members, the unhinged edges of the two portions constituting each side pair being spaced From each other from their upper extremities to a position below the platform members and the platform members being spaced from each other. 